Hope in the Presence of Death
As a curious child I stand aside from my aging
self and witness the process of my dissolution
my life has struggled to out-run death
in a race unfairly rigged in favor of death.
But neither self-pity nor fear of dying
disturb me as I mark my body’s progress
along that pre-determined course.
The child within me says, “Rejoice in Her
who is the joy of your youth... for She
has crowned you with eternal life.”